Bow Maker

ABSTRACT

A bow maker includes a base portion having a plurality of holes. The bow maker further includes at least two pegs configured to be received by the plurality of holes and at least one wire holder.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a bow maker and a method of using a bow maker.

BACKGROUND

Bow making has been employed on an industrial scale using fixed jigs with pegs for wrapping bow material. However, existing bow making jigs require that pressure be applied to the bow material to maintain tension with the pegs. Moreover, existing bow making jigs are not designed for reconfigurable use by a home user. Rather, existing bow making jigs are created for production environments without flexibility and reconfigurable operation.

For craft users, or home users, existing bow making jigs are not widely available because of their size, expense, and difficulty of use. Moreover, the skill required to use typical bow making apparatuses require training and significant time investment before a bow can be made that is not oddly shaped.

Thus, there is a need for a configurable bow maker having features allowing for rapid learning and providing high quality bows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a bow maker.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the bow maker of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the bow maker of FIG. 2 taken at section lines 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the bow maker of FIG. 2 taken at section lines 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a user creating a bow using the bow maker of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, illustrative embodiments are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent the embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain novel aspects of an embodiment. Further, the embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the claims to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.

In an example, with reference to FIGS. 1-2, a bow maker 100 is shown having a base portion 110 and a plurality of reconfigurable pegs 120, 122. Base portion 110 includes a plurality of holes 130, 132 configured to receive pegs 120, 120. Moreover, holes 130, 132 are configured to receive twist-and-lock connections 140, 142, that prevent pegs 120, 122 from falling out of holes 130, 132. Alternatively, pegs 120, 122 may include ends that are held by base portion 110 by an interference fit. Base portion 110 also includes wire holders 150, 152 that allow a user to wrap wire laterally across base portion 110 when a bow is being constructed. The wire is then used to tie the center portion of the bow so that the bow's shape is held after removal from bow maker 100.

To facilitate the making of bows, bow material clip locations 160, 162 are provided for the user so that at least one end of the bow material may be tied down during construction of the bow. Clip locations 160, 162 allow the user to wrap the bow material around pegs 120, 122 without the end of the bow material begin pulled or otherwise unraveling from pegs 120, 122. To make different sized and shaped bows, the user places pegs 120, 122 (which may include a large number of pegs that are not shown) to configure the shape of the bow.

As shown in FIG. 1, the location of plurality of holes 130, 132 (and others) are provided at different distances longitudinally and laterally from the center of base portion 110. The spacing differences allow the user to create different loop sizes for their bows. The user may make the same sized loops or use different distances of pegs 120 to create bows having different sized loops.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of bow maker 100 taken at section lines 3-3 (from FIG. 2). Peg 120 is shown installed in base portion 110. Twist and lock feature 140 is shown in a locked position through hole 130. To reduce the potential for base portion 110 from moving during the bow making process, suction cups 300 are added to the bottom of base portion 110. Alternatively, rubber feet or other non-skid materials may be used to reduce movement of base portion 110.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of bow maker 100 taken at section lines 4-4 (from FIG. 2). Wire holders 150, 152 are shown as molded protrusions from base portion 110. The user may wrap wire around wire holders 150, 152 while the bow is being made and then wrap the wire around the center portion of the bow to maintain the bow's positioning and shape. Alternative examples of wire holders may include screw-on or glued on protrusions or clips to hold wire during bow making.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a user creating a bow using the bow maker of FIG. 1. Base portion 110 is placed on a flat surface (such as a table) for the bow making process. Pegs 120, 122 are locked into base portion 110 to allow the user to wrap bow material around them in the bow making process. Additional pegs 510 may not be placed into base portion 110 and may be set aside for future projects. A first end 520 of bow material is clipped to clip location 160 by a clamp 522. A second end 522 of bow material is manipulated by the user around pegs 120, 122 to create the bow. A wire 530 is wrapped around wire holder 150 to secure the wire during construction of the bow. When the bow is complete, the user may unwrap wire 530 and tie the center of the bow to retain the bow's shape.

In general the process for making a bow may include, in step 1, adding or removing pegs 120 from base portion 110 to determine the desired size of the bow to be produced. Pegs 120 may be held in place by twist and lock features where a 90 degree turn either locks or unlocks the pegs from base portion 110.

In step 2, a strip of craft wire 530 may be cut and laid across the middle of base portion 110. The free ends of wire 530 may then be slid under wire holder 150 to hold it in place.

In step 3, first end 520 of ribbon may be secured to material clip location 160.

In step 4, the ribbon may then be wound around four middle pegs 120 and then around rest of pegs 120 in figure eight pattern.

In step 5, continue winding the ribbon until bow has desired number of layers. If necessary, wrap on top of previously wrapped ribbon.

In step 6, second end 522 of the ribbon may be attached to the other material clip location 162 to secure the completed bow. The end of the ribbon material may then be trimmed off to match first end 520.

In step 7, wire 530 may then be released from clip locations 150, 152 and wrapped loosely around the gathered middle of bow.

In step 8, the bow may then be carefully slid up and off of pegs 120 while securely holding the middle of the bow.

In step 9, wire 530 may then be would around center of the bow until tight. The ends of wire 530 may then be trimmed.

As will be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the base portion may be of any desirable size and may contain any number of holes or peg locations spaced around the base structure. In addition, the base structure or pegs may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic, rubber, or metal.

The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The embodiments should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.

With regard to the processes, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes described herein are provided for illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the claimed invention.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. 

1. A bow maker comprising: a base portion having a plurality of holes; at least two pegs configured to be received by said plurality of holes; and at least one wire holder.
 2. The bow maker of claim 1, wherein said pegs include a locking feature for securing said at least two pegs to said base portion.
 3. The bow maker of claim 1, wherein said wire holder is configured as a protrusion from said base portion.
 4. The bow maker of claim 1, further comprising clip locations for securing bow material.
 5. The bow maker of claim 1, further comprising non-skid feet.
 6. The bow maker of claim 5, wherein said non-skid feet are configured as suction cups. 